1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus which permits quick removal of high capacity disk drive units from a supporting base unit of a host computer system. The apparatus further provides quick, simple installation of the disk drive units into the computer system.
2. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a disk drive module which is quick and simple to remove from a host computer system and which can be quickly and accurately reinstalled in the system. A quick release hold down arrangement for the disk drive module eliminates all manual insertions or extractions of connecting cables and automatically insures accurate positioning of the electrical connectors during final assembly of thedisk dirve module into the host computer system. This hold down and positioning arrangement provided support for two disk drive modules.
Each module includes a carrier assembly to which a disk drive unit is mounted and having an electrical connector member secured directly above and aligned with an elongated aperture formed at one end of the carrier. Ribbon cables interconnect the disk dive unit with the electrical connector.
The carrier assemblies are mounted in the computer system on fixed base units located at opposed ends of an interconnect board. The interconnect board serves to accurately support a pair of spaced electrical connector fittings which are connected to various computer system components in order to establish the desired power, data and control signal transmission paths are required. Each of the fixed base units includes a pair of guiding and retaining brackets remote from the connector fittings and a pair of latching assemblies adjacent the connector fittings. Mounting lugs at one end of the disk drive module cooperate with the guiding and retaining brackets to locate and retain one end of the carrier assembly, and mounting lugs on a second end of the assembly cooperate with the latching assemblies to secure and align the second end of the carrier.
The second end of the carrier assembly is brought into a final assembled position by a downward force which separates latching members of the latching assemblies whereby the mounting lugs are moved downward into engagement with cradling supports. When the mounting lugs are fully seated in the supports the latching members are spring biased back to their normal latching position to positively secure the second end of the carrier assembly. Further, the electrical connector carried by the carrier assembly is automatically connected to a related electriacl connector fitting mounted to interconnect as the mounting lugs are forced downward into the cradling supports.
To remove a disk drive module from the computer system, a handle of the carrier assembly is pulled upward whereby the mounting lugs can open the latching members to free one end of the carrier assembly from the latching assemblies. Commensurate with this upward movement all electrical connections to the disk drive module are disconnected and the module is now free to be removed from the computer system.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a quick release disk drive module which eliminates all manual insertions or extractions of electrical cables normally associated with installing or removing a disk drive from a computer system.
It is another object of this invention to provide a disk drive system which provide automatic electrical connections when the disk drive is installed in a computer system.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a cooperating latching and positioning arrangement which provides quick and accurate installation of a disk drive module in a computer system and which arrangement provides automatic electrical connections to the disk drive with its installation.
It is further object of this invention to provide an arrangement for retaining a disk drive module in a computer system which is automatically mechanically and electrically releasable solely in response to manual lifting forces applied to the disk drive module.
Other objects features and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taen in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.